Abington patrolman with 'many hats' retiring after more than 32 years

After more than 35 years in law enforcement, with 32 of them spent in Abington, Patrolman Barry Geraghty is calling it a career. At the same time, he's been asked to be the Grand Marshall in this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Abington.

"He's worn many hats during his time here," said Abington Police Chief David Majenski, referring to Barry. "And he's been instrumental in shaping this department over the years."

He added when it comes to Barry, he has a saying; "round peg, round hole."

"Management is based on fitting round pegs into round holes," Majenski said. "That's just what Barry has always done."

After all these years, at the age of 58, Barry thinks he will miss his interactions with people the most when it comes to the police beat.

He said he will also miss all of the people he worked with during his career.

"I've met some wonderful people over the years," he said.

Barry has been the D.A.R.E. officer for Abington in the past, as well as the crisis commander of the regional crisis management team, MetroLEC.

"I used to negotiate with hostage-takers with (MetroLEC)," Barry said. "Luckily, there were many people who ended up coming out of their situation quietly. Once there was a situation in Abington that took me more than three hours, but we resolved it."

Within the Abington department, Barry still serves as the licensing officer (for firearms, and for businesses), the local safety officer, the property control officer for evidence and the stress unit coordinator, who helps fellow officers deal with traumatic situations.

For years now, Barry has also been the officer who notifies families of loved ones' deaths.

"There's a lot to that job," Barry said. "You have to present yourself a certain way. You have to make yourself available…when I'm doing that job, sometimes I don't even know where the words come from. They just do.

"In that capacity, you're dealing with people when they are at their most vulnerable. You have to do that without creating more damage."

Barry still serves as the deputy program director for the Plymouth County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, a position for which he constantly needs to be available for crisis situations. With his retirement, he will also be stepping down from that position.

Barry is also the main facilities manager at the police station on Central Street because he happens to be a handyman as well.

His final day on the job will be on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.

"Going out like an Irishman should," Barry joked.

Page 2 of 3 - When it comes to what he'll be doing after he retires, he said he'll be assisting at a local funeral home and will be training cadets at the police academy in Plymouth.

"I'll still be around," he said. "But that's the thing; doing this for so many years, there have been times I've just had to drop everything, leave my family and go to work. Really, I think retiring will just give me more time to spend with my (three) grandchildren, my wife, Michelle and my kids."

Barry has two daughters and a son.

"Plus, being a police officer, you get beat up over the years," Barry added. "There's definitely a mental toll, but there's a physical toll too."

Even though he is now an Abington staple, Barry spent his youth growing up in South Weymouth. A product of the schools in that town, Barry had every intention of becoming a priest, attending a seminary after he got out of high school.

But Barry soon changed his mind and became an auxiliary officer in Braintree. That's where he met one of his best friends, Rick Somers, who happens to be the police prosecutor for the Rockland Police Department to this day.

"I remember coming into the business," Barry said. "People were still using typewriters. Nobody knew what a bulletproof vest was. I mean, I can remember directing traffic a Five Corners in Braintree when there weren't any traffic lights."

He stressed how times have changed but noted that some of the faces have not.

He explained several Abington officers he now works with were once members of his D.A.R.E. classes, including Jake Poulin, who Barry is now training to be his replacement within the department after he steps down.

"I used to love being in the schools," Barry said. "And it's great to see some of these kids I spoke to back in the D.A.R.E. days. It validates what I did back then."

He tries to adhere to his old ways when teaching up-and-coming officers about their police uniforms.

"I tell them a uniform exists so they don't get their own clothes dirty," Barry said. "I tell them what they need to understand is that the police uniform represents what you do, not who you are as a person. I also tell them you can't take anything personally when it comes to this job."

He added he also teaches young officers to communicate and work with the public. After all, that's what the Abington department's "Community Partners" slogan is all about.

"I want officers to learn that people should be running to them, not away from them," he said. "We still need to be humans in this role, not robots."

Page 3 of 3 - There's a quote that Barry has lived with for a long time. It was written by the late Rev. Mychal Judge, who was killed during the terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

The quote reads, "Lord, take me where you want me to go, let me meet who you want me to meet, tell me what you want me to say and keep me out of your way."

"That's been hanging up (at my desk) for a long time," Barry said.

He added he is glad he will still be helping people once he leaves the department and reiterated how important spending time with his family is.

"And I've got a honey-do list that would choke a horse," he said with a grin.